In this 1962 Cold War drama, based on a Pearl Buck novel, Catholic missionary Father O'Banion (William Holden) travels to a remote section of China during its civil war to succeed retiring priest Father Bovard (Clifton Webb, in his last film role and one of only two movies in which he appears without his trademark mustache). There O'Banion befriends the beautiful Siu Lan (France Nuyen). O'Banion's faith and forgiveness are put to the ultimate test when the mission is occupied by Red Chinese Communists and Siu Lan's life is endangered.